Plagiarism or Code Resuse?

Plagiarism is mainly done with writing, and can include all forms of writing.  Do we consider code reuse to be part of plagiarism? We have to analyze two things: 1) We have to look at the definitions and analyze them 2) then look further than the definitions and see what we can come up with.

Source: http://guides.library.vu.edu.au/referencing

To understand if code reuse is in fact a form of plagiarism, we must look at the formal definitions for both terms and determine whether or not they are in fact the same.  The formal definition of plagiarism, according to Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary is: 

• to use (another's production) without crediting the source
• to commit literary theft
• to present as new and original an idea or product derived from an existing source
• to steal and pass off (the ideas or words of another) as one's own

Basically plagiarism is an act of stealing someone else’s work and not admitting to it.   Most students in either high school or college should know what plagiarism is.  Most Universities have strict policies about regarding plagiarism and copying.  Now we have to look at what code reuse should be defined as.  The formal definition of code reuse according to thefreedictionary.com is:

“The ability to use software routines over again in new applications”. 

What this is saying is that code reuse is allowing the reuse of software routines, which can include methods or algorithms, and implementing them into new software.  Now that we have seen both the definition of plagiarism and code reuse we can analyze them and see if code reuse is after all considered plagiarism. After looking at the two definitions they do seem similar.  As in the definition for code reuse implies that previously made code will be used by someone else or another company for their own benefit, often without crediting the source.  So as of now it seems that code reused can be considered plagiarism. 

So, is the case closed?  Does just looking at the definitions and determining that code reused does fall under a form of plagiarism.  The answer is no, code reuse, is not in fact plagiarism.  This is in part due to two specific reasons. 

The first is that code reuse isn’t considered plagiarism is that when used correctly, it is encouraged as good practice for a programmer.  What I mean by this is that the idea of code reuse is to save time by allowing other programmers to use premade code.  A good example where code reuse could be used is whenever a crazy efficient algorithm is made, it wouldn’t make sense to have to reinvent the wheel so to say. 

Secondly, plagiarism usually is not used for coding usually because systems can borrow certain concepts, but the code usually has to be modified.  This is just saying that even though the code may be copied the user will have to be able to connect the piece into the existing code to make the program function properly. 

So we learned that code reuse is not necessarily considered to be plagiarism because of two reasons.  One, code reuse isn’t considered plagiarism is because when used correctly, it is encouraged as good practice for a programmer.  Second, code reuse can be systems that borrow certain concepts, but the code usually has to be modified.  After analyzing these statements most people will agree that code reuse is needed and should not be considered plagiarism. 



Sources:
plagiarism.org
thefreedictionary.com
rajlaboratory.blogspot.com